Courts Again Affirm That Churches May Determine Their Leaders, etc, Without Government Intrusion By Refraining From Interfering In Presbyterian Church Staff Decision

August 10, 2017

The courts have again affirmed that churches may determine their leaders and code of ethics and act accordingly without government interference.

In May 2015, Minister Roger Dermody filed a lawsuit against the Presbyterian Church USA with the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Denominational leaders notified members of alleged ethics violations concerning how funds had been handled and fired Dermody. He publicly admitted the charges, but then filed a defamation lawsuit.

Becket attorney Eric Baxter tells OneNewsNow the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC(2012) that churches may hire and fire personnel without interference from the government.

“So if an administrator is fired from the church, you can’t bring any kind of discrimination claim or otherwise challenge the church’s decision,” Baxter explains. “Otherwise, the courts and the government would end up trying to tell churches who their leaders have to be.”